Search : 500 result(s)
Sect over State: The Struggle for a Lebanese National Identity
Samar El-Kadi 06/10 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Lebanon Communities Christians Muslims Hezbollah
“Shia, Shia, Shia,” the cri de guerre of Hezbollah’s partisans for mobilizing and rallying the Shia community in a country that is religiously, culturally, and politically diverse, is a blatant demonstration of communal allegiance over national belonging. Lebanon is one of the world’s most divided countries. Its diversity has complicated ...
A Monastery Dedicated to Saint Charbel in Villiers-sur-Marne
Fady Noun 28/09 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Bechara Rai Europe Middle East Pope Francis USA
A new Lebanese Maronite Order (LMO) monastery dedicated to Saint Charbel has opened in Villiers-sur-Marne, just 40 km from Paris, marking the first of its kind in France and the third in Europe, after Rome (Lateran) and Belgium (Abbaye du Bois Seigneur Isaac). The monastery is set to become a vibrant center of Christian spiritual life for the ...
Are Things Looking Brighter for the Middle East?
David Hale 03/10 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon Syria Gaza Hamas Israel United States
A year after Israel defanged Hezbollah, and in the wake of the annual opening of the UN General Assembly and several developments related to the Middle East, it may be a good time to take stock. In my 38-year career of diplomacy in the Middle East, anytime someone expressed optimism, I would suggest a head examination might be in order. However, ...
PSG Stun Barcelona In Champions League, Man City Held By Monaco
This is Beirut 02/10 11:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Title-holders Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to beat Barcelona 2-1 with a last-minute goal in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Manchester City had to settle for a draw in Monaco despite Erling Haaland's double. Elsewhere there were comfortable wins for Arsenal and Newcastle United, as Napoli and Borussia Dortmund were among the ...
Trump to Push Netanyahu on Gaza Peace Plan at White House
This is Beirut 29/09 15:12 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu White House United Nations Gaza
US President Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday for high-stakes talks aimed at sealing an elusive Gaza peace agreement. Trump says a deal to end the nearly two-year war, free hostages held by Hamas and disarm the Palestinian militants is effectively done following talks with Arab and ...
#MeToo: Can a Star Rise Again After Scandal?
Bélinda Ibrahim 10/10 19:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
#MeToo Stars Scandal Cinema Culture Hollywood
Autumn 2017 marked an unexpected turning point. The hashtag #MeToo exploded, amassing over a million posts in just days. Social media became a platform where voices long silenced could finally speak. In film, television and music, old wounds resurfaced, forcing many to confront the painful normalcy of abuse and silence. At the time, Rose McGowan, ...
Sweeping UN Sanctions Return To Hit Iran After Nuclear Talks Fail
This is Beirut 28/09 05:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Widespread UN sanctions against Iran returned into force late Saturday for the first time in a decade, after last-ditch nuclear talks with Western powers failed to produce a breakthrough. The sanctions, three months after Israel and the United States bombed Iran, bar dealings related to Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missiles program and are ...
How a Whisper and a Note Led to Trump’s Gaza Deal
This is Beirut 09/10 21:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump Marco Rubio Gaza Israel
It began with a hastily written note and a whisper. It ended with a Gaza deal long sought by Donald Trump. Something was obviously going on when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made an unexpected appearance during a roundtable at the White House on the left-wing Antifa movement on Wednesday. "By the way, we have Marco Rubio. Marco, come on up ...
NBA Back In China After Six-Year Absence Sparked By Democracy Tweet
This is Beirut 08/10 12:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
The NBA returns to the lucrative China market this week with two pre-season games following a six-year absence after a team official tweeted his support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns will play sell-out games on Friday and Sunday in Macau, a special administrative region of China close to Hong ...
Israeli Army Still Operating in Gaza Despite Calls for Ceasefire
This is Beirut 04/10 14:24 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Gaza Hamas United States Israel Egypt
Israel said Saturday its troops were still operating in Gaza and warned residents not to return, despite calls from the families of Israeli hostages and US President Donald Trump for an immediate halt to the fighting. Trump issued the appeal to the key US ally after Palestinian militant group Hamas said it was ready to release all hostages and ...
Israel, Hamas Due to Start Ceasefire Talks in Egypt
This is Beirut 06/10 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Hamas Israel Egypt Gaza Ceasefire
Delegations from Hamas, Israel and the United States are due to convene in Egypt for talks on Monday, with President Donald Trump urging negotiators to "move fast" to end the nearly two-year war in Gaza. Both Hamas and Israel have responded positively to Trump's proposal for an end to the fighting and the release of captives in Gaza in exchange ...
Ethan Mbappe Returns To Haunt PSG As Lille Force Draw With Ligue 1 Leaders
This is Beirut 06/10 15:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Kylian Mbappe's brother Ethan haunted his former club Paris Saint-Germain as he came off the bench to grab a late leveller for Lille in Ligue 1 on Sunday, while Lyon went down to a surprise 2-1 defeat at home to Toulouse. The 1-1 draw at Lille's Stade Pierre-Mauroy was, however, enough for injury-plagued PSG to go one point clear at the top of ...
Waste Crisis: Heading Back to the 2015 Chaos?
Natasha Metni Torbey 09/10 15:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
The shadow of Lebanon’s 2015 waste crisis loomed briefly over the country once again. On Tuesday morning, Ramco trucks halted waste collection across Mount Lebanon, Keserwan and Beirut after the Jdeideh landfill abruptly closed in the early hours. Intervention from the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), which ordered the temporary ...
Taylor Swift Strides into 'Showgirl' Era with Sparkly New Album
This is Beirut 03/10 13:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Taylor Swift Music Album Culture Concert Art
Taylor Swift is in a sparkling new era. On Friday, she dropped her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, a collection of bouncy pop songs about love, marriage, success — and score-settling. For the hotly anticipated album, the 35-year-old artist reunited with Swedish hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback, and their influence is clear in the ...
Germany Cruise, Mbappe on the Mark for France in World Cup Qualifying
This is Beirut 11/10 01:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Four-time winners Germany cruised past 10-man Luxembourg and Kylian Mbappe helped France see off Azerbaijan in World Cup qualifying on Friday. Captain Joshua Kimmich's double inspired Germany to a 4-0 win over Luxembourg and to the top of Group A on goal difference with Slovakia and Northern Ireland, who await them in Belfast on Monday. Germany ...
Trump’s Gaza Plan Wins Netanyahu Backing, but Hinges on Hamas
This is Beirut 29/09 23:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump United States Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Gaza
US President Donald Trump secured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's backing for a wide-ranging Gaza peace plan Monday, as the two leaders warned that Israel would "finish the job" against Hamas if the Palestinian militant group rejects the deal. Hamas had yet to give its judgment on the proposal that Trump unveiled at the White ...
Paracetamol, Pregnancy, Autism: The Debate Reignited
Bélinda Ibrahim 09/10 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Paracetamol Pregnancy Autism Science Risk
Who hasn’t slipped a pack of paracetamol into their bag or medicine cabinet? As the pain reliever and fever reducer most of us rely on, paracetamol is a daily fixture, especially for pregnant women, who are often advised to avoid many other medications. Yet this familiar gesture conceals an important question: is paracetamol use during pregnancy ...
UK Author Jilly Cooper, Bestselling Queen of Romantic Fiction, Dies Aged 88
This is Beirut 06/10 14:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Literature Jilly Cooper Obituary Britain Culture
Jilly Cooper, who has died aged 88, was the best-selling British writer whose racy novels were famously filled with sex, snobbery and fun. With suggestive titles such as Tackle!, Mount! and Score!, Cooper's books were publishing sensations, selling 11 million copies in the UK alone. Her agent Felicity Blunt said Monday that "she will ...
Israel Issues 'Last' Warning for Gaza City Residents to Flee
This is Beirut 01/10 16:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Israel's defense minister issued a final warning for Gaza City residents to flee south on Wednesday, as Hamas weighed US President Donald Trump's plan to end nearly two years of war in the Palestinian territory. Witnesses reported heavy bombardment in Gaza's largest urban center, as Israel Katz warned the military was tightening its encirclement ...
What we Know About the New Gaza Deal
This is Beirut 09/10 14:11 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Palestine Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas Israel
Israel and Hamas on Thursday agreed a ceasefire deal to free the living hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Here is what we know so far about the agreement that was reached in indirect talks in Egypt: Hostage, prisoner releases Hamas will release 20 living hostages in one go as ...
Saudi Arabia Hosts its First Riyadh Comedy Festival
This is Beirut 07/10 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Comedy Riyadh Comedy Festival Saudi Art Culture
Jokes about geriatric sex and endless profanity have been embraced by Saudi fans at the Riyadh Comedy Festival even as foreign comedians face a backlash for taking part. The star-studded event, backed by a Saudi government body, has driven a wedge through the stand-up scene, as comics who staunchly defend free speech in the West are accused of ...
Constitutional Council Upholds Banking Authority and Ties Bank Reform Law to Gap Law
Maurice Matta 04/10 17:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon’s Constitutional Council issued a ruling partially annulling Law No. 23/2025 on banking reform and restructuring, following an appeal filed by ten MPs. In form, the Council accepted the appeal, as it was filed within the legal timeframe and met all procedural requirements. In substance, it decided to annul parts of the contested ...
Algorithms, Lavender, and the Art of War
Paul Guillot 07/10 11:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
In 2023, the conflict between Israel and certain armed groups in Gaza saw the large-scale use of artificial intelligence in military operations. One program, called Lavender, became a central tool for target selection. It relies on machine learning algorithms that cross-reference multiple sources – images, intercepted communications, and ...
Tinder AI Connection: When the Algorithm Plays Cupid
Paul Guillot 07/10 11:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
With digital apps shaping more and more of our love lives, Tinder – the world’s leading dating platform with over 55 billion matches recorded – is taking a new step forward. The growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is not just transforming our search for love; it’s reshaping the very nature of human interaction, raising ...
Skipping Class, Winning Prizes: The Untold Stories of Nobel Laureates
This is Beirut 03/10 16:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Nobel Prize Education Science Culture
Some Nobel laureates were straight-A students from the get-go. But others AFP spoke to recounted how they cut class, got expelled, and had doubts about their future. Perhaps the most illustrious Nobel Prize winner, Albert Einstein, was once a mediocre student at Zurich Polytechnic School, now ETH Zurich. The young Einstein skipped classes, ...
Columbus Day 2025: A Holiday Still Dividing America
This is Beirut 11/10 16:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
United States Federal Holiday American History Christopher Columbus Indigenous People Donald Trump
As October 13, 2025, approaches, President Donald Trump has reignited the national debate over Columbus Day by signing a proclamation on Thursday, honoring Christopher Columbus as “a true American hero.” At a Cabinet meeting in the White House on October 9, Trump declared, “We’re back, Italians,” officially reaffirming the federal ...
Outgoing French PM Sees New Premier Named in Next 48 Hours
This is Beirut 08/10 23:44 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Sebastien Lecornu France Emmanuel Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron will name a new prime minister within the next 48 hours, his office said on Wednesday, after the resignation of outgoing premier Sebastien Lecornu tipped the country deeper into political crisis. Lecornu told French TV in an interview earlier that he expected a new premier to be named, rather than early ...
EU Eyes Building 'Drone Wall': Question is, What is It?
This is Beirut 02/10 16:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
European Union Drones Russia Ukraine
European Union leaders are discussing setting up a "drone wall" of defences after high-profile air incursions by Russia. But the plan appears to mean different things to different countries, and not everyone seems entirely convinced. Here's where we stand: Eastern shield? The first call for the project came last month from EU chief Ursula ...
Burning Issues in the Syrian Visit to Beirut
Mario Chartouni 10/10 16:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanese Army Banks Damascus Hezbollah Saudi Arabia
Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani is visiting Beirut this Friday for his first official trip since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Long postponed, the visit marks a symbolic step toward restoring ties between Lebanon and Syria after a decade of mistrust. It follows a series of technical missions by Syrian officials exploring ...
Hamas Seeks to Amend Disarmament Clause in Gaza Plan, Source Says
This is Beirut 01/10 13:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Hamas Palestine Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu USA
Heavy Israeli bombardment rocked Gaza City on Wednesday, witnesses said, as Hamas weighed US President Donald Trump's plan to end nearly two years of devastating war in the Palestinian territory. A Palestinian source close to Hamas told AFP on Wednesday that "no final decision" had been made and that "the movement will likely need two to three ...